Mallacoota will be among the first towns in Australia to have a grid-connected energy storage system included in its local network, after eastern Victorian electricity distributor AusNet Services today announced plans to install a large scale battery near the town in 2019.

Victorian Energy Minister, Lily D’Ambrosio, today officially inaugurated Victoria’s first utility-scale Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) at the AusNet Services Ballarat Terminal Station in Warrenheip, Ballarat. The 30-megawatt (MW) 30 megawatt-hour (MWh) BESS — currently being commissioned by the world-class consortium comprising Downer Spotless, AusNet Services, EnergyAustralia and Fluence, and funded by the Victorian Government and Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) on behalf of the Australian Government — has entered the final phases of testing in preparation for it to begin relieving pressure on the regional grid, ahead of the approaching summer.

AusNet Services has engaged Field Works to survey a random sample of customers from across our electricity distribution network to help the us better understand the issues affecting its customers and to identify opportunities to improve. The survey will be conducted over two weeks beginning 1 September.